Kumi Hospital
Eastern Uganda
Kumi Hospital Project. Kumi Hospital is a Private Not for Profit hospital in rural Eastern Uganda which transformed from a leprosy centre to a general hospital in 1997. The hospital has a 350 bed capacity providing a wide range of care for children and adults in medicine, surgery, primary care. Rehab and Community Based Rehabilitation workers. AMREF Flying Doctors service offers VVF repairs and reconstructive surgery. The hospital is the regional referral unit for leprosy and TB in Eastern Uganda. Kumi receives minimal government support and relies upon charitable support to continue its work.
Achievements:
Donated X ray machine.
Funded a heamtology analyser.
Funding for nurse training.
Provision of solar electric power units for 3 wards.
Money to support doctors salaries.
Provision of Autoclave machine for the new maternity unit.
Provision of guttering and water storage tanks to provide clean water.
Provision of fuel for the generator.
Provision and installation of generator to provide vital power during frequent power cuts.
On going support:
Continued support with Doctors salaries and Nurse training.
Continued support with fuel for the generator.
Provision of much needed medical equipment for the hospital and new maternity unit.
Pursue possibility of linking with Worcestershire Royal Hospital to enable doctor sponsorship, equipment recycling and staff donations.
FOAG aims to support Kumi Hospital in any way possible, whether by provision of equipment ,funds or volunteers.
Communication with Kumi can be difficult due to the variable power status but despite this FOAG is able to maintain close links with Dr Opolot, the hospital Superintendent.
In 2005 Dr Opolot came to England to address a conference in Worcestershire and concluded his remarks by saying "nothing is too small for Kumi". If you would like to gain a greater insight into life at Kumi Hospital you can read an article by Sue Derbyshire the project co-ordinator here.
Project Update (July 2010)
Kumi hospital is experiencing challenging times at present due to financial pressures. Dispite this it continues to provide vital medical and surgical treatment to local people. FOAG's support enabled the purchase of a haematology analyser which has significantly improved the speed of accessing blood test results and therefore faster patient treatment.
The new maternity unit is functioning well with the autoclave, funded by FOAG, playing a vital role in the day to day running of the unit. IV giving sets and catheters have been donated to the unit by the Special Care Baby Unit in Worcester and funds raised by a group of local young mothers have been donated for purchase of other much needed equipment.
To find out more please go to www.kumihospital.org.
Project Cordinator: Sue Derbyshire
Sue is a Chartered Paediatric Physiotherapist and a keen apiarist! Sue became aware of FOAG after attending a local VSO meeting .As a result, through FOAG, she was able to contact Kumi Hospital in Uganda and arrange a three month period of volunteer work as a Paediatric Physiotherapist from January to March 2007 and she found the experience both personally and professionally enriching. On her return she was invited by FOAG to join the committee in Nov 2007. The experience of working at Kumi has given Sue valuable insight into the numerous areas of need that FOAG can help to support.
New maturnity unit
The Patients
Limb and other aids workshop
A paitent after operation
Our Online Shop
If you would like to find out more about the specific items we are fundraising for at Kumi then please click below.
Pre-op nutrition and medication (£25)
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